Garmin get tough on doping

Eurosport - Mon, 08 Dec 16:31:00 2008

The 29 riders from the Garmin-Slipstream team will be tested over 600 times next season after agreeing to a new internal anti-doping programme.

CYCLING 2008 Tour de France Garmin Chipotle - 0

Garmin-Slipstream, managed by former professional rider Jonathan Vaughters, was founded in 2005 on a strong anti-doping stance and were using the services of the Agency for Cycling Ethics until it closed earlier this year.

"(The team) will participate in a new program run by the Anti-Doping Sciences Institute to further its anti-doping mission. The program will include profiles from testing conducted over the last year and will share data with UCI and other international and national anti-doping agencies," said Garmin-Slipstream, previously know as Garmin-Chipotle.

"All 29 athletes on the team are voluntarily participating in the program, which will test them over 600 times in 2009.

"There will be an intense focus on EPO and related substances as well as continued focus on longitudinal profiling of blood and steroid levels.

The programme will include tests to detect the new generation of the banned blood-booster EPO, called CERA.

Top rider Riccardo Ricco, Leonardo Piepoli of Italy, German Stefan Schumacher and Austrian Bernhard Kohl tested positive for CERA in retroactive tests from this year's Tour de France.

Reuters

Comment 1 - 5 of 5

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  1. This is the way forward, and those who test positive­ should get lifetime bans. The current system clearly­ hasn't been working, riders just come back with a­ clean slate after they've damaged the sport.

    From ddubdrahcir, on Tue 9 Dec 9:48AM

  2. Exactly Karl M, Cycling is trying to clean up, I just­ wish the other BIG SPORTS would do something. But there­ you go money still talks.

    From maurice1958, on Mon 8 Dec 8:14PM

  3. "...tested over 600 times" Hope they have­ blood to race with!

    From p, on Mon 8 Dec 7:36PM

  4. Hope they have time to race! Good to see their efforts­ seem genuine. Hope no one lets them down

    From maurice1958, on Mon 8 Dec 7:23PM

  5. Excellent news. It appears that the sponsors are­ really recognising the damage to their brand caused by­ cheating cyclists. Hopefully this dual-pronged­ sponsor + authority testing will become more­ widespread.
    '
    A 100% clean 2009 Tdf with Basso,­ Contador and Armstrong?? Must be dreaming.

    From p, on Mon 8 Dec 6:33PM
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